Automatic safety-switch.



T. 0. KING.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31. 190B.

926,575. I Patented June29, 1909.

S HEBT 1.

3 I 'c. Thom 01%??? nu: NORRIS PETER? co., wasnnvcrorv, 0. cv

T. C. KING.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION mum we. a1. 1900.

Patehted June 29 mums-8111:111 2.

fitter-mu;

Tn: NORRIS psrsns cc wasnmarou. b. c.

T. 0. KING.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. a1, 1903.

Tu: NORRIS PETERS can, wAsmum-uu, n. c.

NItTiED PATENT @Fhitliit THOMAS CECIL KING, OF PU RVL i\'i]SS1SSlPlL A'UTOfLl/IATIC SAFETY-SW11 OH.

Application filed August 31, 1908.

T 0 all 107mm it may con cern Be it known that l, Tuonas CECIL Kine, a citizen of the United States, residing at Puivis, in the county of .lannar and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Automatic Safety-Switch, of which the Following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvemcnts in automatic safety switches.

The object or the present invention. is to improve the construction of automatic sat ety switcies, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and cllicient construction, adapted to be readily applied to various switches and capable, should a switch be carelessly left open, of enabling the same to be automatically closed by an approaching train, thereby eliminating the accidents resnlth from trains runnin into open switches.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic railroad switch of this character, adapted, when a train leaves a siding and enters the .main line, of automatically closing the switch alter the train, thereby e'llecting a great saving of time and obviating the necessity of stopping the train and waiting while a train hand returns to and closes and locks the switch.

The invention also has for its obiect to provide a switch, adapted to be automatically closed by approaching trains, thereby avoiding the expense of equipping switches between stations with signal lights for indicating the position ol the rails at night.

it ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter hilly described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

in the drawings :-l igure l is a plan view of an automatic safety switch, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line S n? of Fig. 1. Fig. t is a sectional view on the line 4-4i of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the hue (S -(S ol Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail sec- Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 251,026.

tional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 2, illustrating the manner of mounting the track levers.

.liike numerals ol' reference designate corresponding parts in all the ligures ol the d rawin "s.

l and designate movable switch rails, connected by tie bars 3 and l: and operating in. coniunction with main line rails 5 and (5 and siding rails 7 and S in the usual manner. The movable switch rails are operable by hand to throw the switch for the siding, and the operating meclmnism comprises in its construction a switch stand and connections between the same and the tie bar 5. The switch stand is composed oi an upright tubular casing 9 and a vertical shal't '10, jourualed in suitable bearings and provided at its lower end with a crank arm 1]. The crank arm is connected by a link or rod 12 with the ad iacent end of the tie rod 3, and it is designed to be oi the desired length and to extend in the desired direction to secure the necessary movement of the switch rails. The upper end of the vertical shatt is equipped with the ordinary signal or target 13 for indi'ating whether the switch is open or closed, and as the switch is adapted to be aiitomatically closed by the means hereinafter described, it is unnecessary to equip switches between stations with a signal light for indicating at night whether the switch is open or closed. This will avoid the expense incident to ordinary switches where such signal lights are necessary.

The switch shaft is provided at its upper portion with a horizontal arm 14-, having an outer operating lever or member 15, pivoted in a bii'nrcation oi the arm l t and adapted to swing downward by gravity into engagement with a notch 16 of the top plate ol the casing of the switch stand. The switch stand is equipped with a lock 17 having a spring actuated bolt, or other means for auto matically engaging the pivoted member or lever 15 of the arm 14:, when the said pivoted lever or member is swung downward into the notch 16. As any construction of key operated lock may be employed t'r this purpose, a detail description and illnstrz'ttion thereol' is deemed unnecessary.

The switch, which is l cked in its open position by the means hereinafter described, is automatically closable when released from such locking mechanism, and this automatic closing of the switch is ell'ected by springs '5 round and receives a coiled sprin. d inter rid e 18 and 19. The spring 18, which is of helical I 1 form. encircles th Vertical shaft its newer )esed on the lockin her :11" osed be- 1 W 7 I L 1 Q r) P end being secured in a p rioration oi" the lower guide DO 2' yr 39,

{ 3S, dis- I v 1 A. fixed L-sheped bracket 21, fastened to the fixed te the rounded portion of the locking casing of the Switch stand and arranged her, but other suitable means may be 71 interiorly thereof, LS clearly lilUStlittGCi. 1n employed for guiding the upper end ot the coiled spring. The upp end 40 of the loci"- The loier end ef F Q of t dre am it Beveled te 1 L13 an inclined front or face 0 houider. The hevress the e31 let/ 031 passes tee H 4 T cleanly iii 1 open Lu fii e disengaged from opereti 85 arm either by the train e meehaiii e l ed, or by the 1110213? of gfroi the upper Ofti0i10f 1 '0 t i I; moved er;- 3? xtthdrewihe 16L .2 7.1 v fewer fun-i its tie pemh ing arm of the 9 centre-std the switch to other em eet I t 1e tie a i 'erniediate sp outer arm r 7, men; extehding beneath the track and cemented part1 with the locking her. The hmciet 4:2 con- 0 7 i provided with horizcntai arms 48, erth 11 of the screw resecured t0 the upper for seeuring the i. cross ties the body eo't' The opening inovtiieet 0 being pr s the lever 27 outwea in the supperting her 26 6 thereby 001 the snitch upper switch erture of the top per 1 ertion. of the 10 vent rote tien 37, W

from the switch to insure perfect safety in the operation of the latter by an approaching 4, which is journalcd in suitable bearings, is C(iliipptil at its inner end with a pair of oppositely extending arms 55, connected by a pair of chains or other suitable flexible connections with the lower end of the locking rod. 'fho duplicate arms and chains 55 permit an. operation of the releasing mechanism by a train approaching a switch lrom either direction. When a rock shatt is rotated in either direction, one ot the arms 55 will pull downward on its chain and 1 operating the latch to withdraw the same withdraw the locking rod from engagement i V loci-Ling the switch open, and tram actuated with the operating arm of tho switch stand, and when the reel; shalt is rotated in the other direction, t 1c other arm 55 will release the switch and permit the same to automatically close.

hen it is desired to run a train on a siding, hand and after tho train has taken the siding, another train will automatically close the switch should the latter have been carelessly left open by the train on the siding. Trains are designed to be equipped at suitable points, such as the opposite sides of a locomotive and the opposite sides of the rear car with a tripping lever 57, adapted to be set to engage the track levers. The tripping levers 57, which may be of various constructions, are preferably pivoted at an intermediate point to a bracket or support 58, and is equipped 'ith a spring actuated dog or detcnt 59 for engaging a notched segi ient 60, whereby the tripping lever is positively locked in position for operating the track levers, or in a position to clear the same, By setting the tripping levers 57 to engage the track levers, the train will operate the track levers and will close the switch should the same be open. This will obviate the necessity of employing signal lights between stations for indicating whether the switches are open or closed, and will thereby lessen the expense of manipulating railroads. By equipping the rear cars of a train with setting levers, train may be run from the siding onto the main line, and the switch will be automatically closed by the rear car, thereby avoiding the delay of stopping the train while a train hand returns to the switch and closes and locks the same. This ill be found especially advantageous on grades where it is ditiicult to start a train after stopping the same. By equipping a train at each side with tripping levers, it will be adapted to operate switches having the track levers located at either side oi the track.

The switch stand and the other mechanism ot the automatic switch may be located at either side of the tract: to suit railroads and their requirements.

Having thus fully described my invention,

it is necessary to open the switch by from its engagement with the operating means of the switch to release the latter.

2. The combination with an automatically closable switch including a switch stand having an operating arm, of a spring actimted latch mounted on tno switch stand and located in the mth of the o oratin arm for means for operating the latch to withdraw the same from engagement with the switch arm to permit the switch to close.

The combination with an autonmticalbi closablc switch including a switch stand, means for connecting the switch stand with the switch, a lever pivoted to such connecting means, a support arranged in spaced relation with the lever, and a spring interposed botween the support and the lever for actuating the latter, of a latch for holding the switch in its open position, and train actuated means for operating the latch to close the switch.

4. The combination with an automatically closablo switch including a switch stand, means for connecting the switch stand with the switch, a lever connected with the said means and p rovidcd with a socket, a support arranged in spaced relation with the socket and the lover, a spring interposed between the lever and the support and having one end titted in the socket, and an adjusting device mounted on the support and receiving the other end of the spring for regulating the tension of the latter.

5. An automatically closable switch including a switch stand, means for connecting the switch stand with the switch, a support arranged to extend across the space between two cross ties and provided at one end with an arm and having a threaded aperture an intermediate point, a lever pivoted to the arm and connected to the said means, a spring interposed between the l lever and the support, and an adjusting screw mounted in the threaded aperture and arranged to engage the tension thereof.

6. An automatically closable switch in cluding a switch stand having a shalt and provided with operating means, a coiled spring disposed on the shaft and connected with the same, means for connecting the switch stand and the switch, a support, a

lever mounted on the support and connected with the said means, and a spring interposed between the support and the lever for actuating the latter.

7. The combination with an automatic ally closable switch including a switchstand having operating means, of latch for looking the switch in an open position, a rock shaft having opposite arms flexibly connected with the latch and adapted to be rocked in either direction for releasing the switch, and train actuated means for rocking the said shaft.

8. The combination with an automatically closanle switch including a switch stand having an operating arm, of a vertically movable spring actuated latch mounted on the switch stand and arranged in the path or the operating arm "for locking the switch in its open position, a reel: shalt provided with opposite arms, pair oi flexible connections extending from the arms to the rod, and train actuated means for rotating the rock shaft.

9. The combination with an automatically closahle switch including a switch stand having an operati; g arm, of vertically novable spring actuated latch mounted on the switch stand and arranged in the path of the operating arm for locking the switch in its open position, a rock shaft provided at one end with opposite arms flexibly conneet-ed with the latch, said roclr shaft being also provided at the other end with an arm, and tracl: levers connected with the latter arm and arranged to be operated by a train.

10. The combination witn an automatically closable switch, of a latch for holding the same in its open position, a rock shaft connected with the latch, a bracket provided with opposite arms for mounting it between two cross ties, a track lever pivoted at an the bracket, and connections between the lever and the rock shaft.

11. The combination with an automatically closahle switch, of a latch for holding the switch in its open position, a supporting bracket composed of a substantially vertical body portion provided at opposite sides with arms, sa' l bracket being also provided at the bottom of its body portion with a lug, an upright lever pivoted to the body portion of the bracket, a coiled spring connected with the lower portion or" the lever and with the lug of the bracket, and means for connecting the lever with the latch.

12. The combination with an automatic ally closable switch including a switch stand having an operating arm, of a spring actuated latch mounted on the switch stand and arranged in the path of the operating arm for locking the switch in its open position, sait latch being provided with an operating handle projecting exteriorly of the switch stand, and train actuated means connected with the latch for automatically releasing the operating arm of the switch.

In testimony, that I claim. the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS CECIL KING.

li itnesses C. G. MAYsoN, G. V ls IANAR. 

